Britain said on Sunday Russia bore responsibility by proxy for civilian deaths in Syria last week caused by a poison gas attack that Washington says was carried out by the Moscow-backed government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

At least 70 people died in what the United States says was a chemical weapons attack in rebel-held Syria. The attack prompted the United States to fire 59 cruise missiles into a Syrian air base from which it said the attack was launched.

Damascus and Moscow denied Syrian forces were behind the gas attack but Western countries dismissed their explanation that chemicals leaked from a rebel weapons depot after an air strike.

Russia has warned that the U.S. missile strikes could have serious consequences for the region. The missile strikes catapulted Washington into confrontation with Russia, which has advisers on the ground aiding its close ally Assad.

British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon criticised Russia’s support of Assad, describing the chemical attack as a war crime that happened “on their watch”.

“By proxy Russia is responsible for every civilian death last week,” Fallon, whose government voiced support for U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to target the Syrian air base, wrote in the Sunday Times newspaper.

“If Russia wants to be absolved of responsibility for future attacks, (President) Vladimir Putin needs to enforce commitments, dismantle Assad’s chemical weapons arsenal for good and get fully engaged” with the U.N. peace process on Syria.

On Sunday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry criticised a decision by British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson to cancel a visit to Moscow later this month, saying it showed a lack of understanding of events in Syria.

The ministry said it also showed once more that there was little to gain from talking to Britain, which it said had no real influence over world affairs.

Washington has long backed rebels fighting Assad in a multi-sided civil war that has killed more than 400,000 people and driven half of Syrians from their homes since 2011.

The United States has conducted air strikes against Islamic State, which controls territory in eastern and northern Syria, and a small number of U.S. troops are helping rebel militias.

Absolute garbage from Fallon.
If there’s nothing of value to say, “shut it”, it’s imbarrising.
The entire western coalition is responsible by Proxy not just for whats happening in Syria, but what happened in many other countries since George Bush announced US policy, “WAR ON TERROR”!
It was Russia after help was requested by Syria that made great progress over IS, in a short space of time with refused support from the COALITION !!
Can’t stand listening to unfair compulsive baseless propaganda.
America, Saudi, Turkey, UK and US are all responsible for the situation in Syria, still hoping Saddat will do the routine thing and bailout, die, be killed or depart.
All those supper powers with all thier might sat back for five years with not scruples and did “NOTHING”.
Then Russia arrived on the scene “five (5) years later”?.
The west has forgotten the mass beheadings, torture, slavery, destruction,burnings, rapes, murders, thefts ect.
According to Fallon recent outburst, Russia is responsible for the situation in Syria by “Proxi” ?
Can it get any more stupid?
America sat on the fence for five years under Obama’s watch, swapping and changing sides, supplying so called NICE rebels (IS) with weapons to “topple Saddat” at any cost.!
And the result so far ……
Nearly half a million Syrians dead, millions turned into refuges and displaced.
Syria is in ruins and occupied by many different land grabbing pigs and Assad remains still as leader elect.
Fallon needs a refresher history lesson on Syria to get his facts right and stop behaving as if the war in Syria only just started.!
Russia removed all Syrian biological weapons surrended with the chemical inspectors supervision and the U.N present and cannot be held responsible for gas possessed by rebels or IS.
It would be a even bigger disaster for Syria and the region if Russia went home and Assad was killed.
Will Fallon kill all IS before they sit in Assads throne. What Syria then??
The very best double standard, hypocritical propaganda from Fallon yet !!.

Paralimni

Sh.t happens

Gold51

Compulsively!!

Guest

How low can the country of my birth sink? “Taking back control” while deep inside America’s back passage. The Russian foreign ministry is right. the (no longer) United Kingdom is an irrelevance; it is nothing more than America’s lickspittle.

Paralimni

We all know this but don’t talk about it because it is bad manners

gopher

you hypocritical piece of garbage, you do exactly the same in Yemen… who offers support to the criminal saudis???
in addition which country exports huge quantities of chemical agents??? but of course the UK

Neroli

Russia

gopher

dark propaganda does not do it any longer

Slomi

Rightly so.

gopher

a profound thought

afrocyprus

This is the country that supplies Saudi’s with the bombs that kill 1000s of Yemenis , whoever was responsible for the chemical weapons should be held accountable and be charged with war crimes, but I want to see proof, The day I believe what the USA and poodle UK says will be they day I believe pigs can fly.

Neroli

Why do you have the Union Jack on your photo?

Slomi

Are you asking this question from MUS?

Neroli

Don’t think it’s him!

Slomi

Hmmm.

SuzieQ

I think Mus is now Gold51?

afrocyprus

Are you a transgender by any chance?????

Neroli

Why would you say that?

afrocyprus

SQ wrote this “I think Mus is now Gold51?” so am asking if shehe is transgender because I think its a male behind the a females name.

Slomi

Oh OK.

Neroli

Would the real Mus stand up please!!!

gopher

a profound comment….

afrocyprus

Because I lived there for many years , I never agreeded with the Eoka or that animal Samson, does that me I should not have the Cyprus flag?

Neroli

I didn’t say anything about the Cypriot flag maybe get rid of the British one, as your constantly knocking them

afrocyprus

That would show that I not like most here that defend their country even if they know they have done something wrong or something they don’t agree with., those people I call hypocrites, If ROC does something I don’t agree with I would be the first to knock them ( your words) like wise UK, that’s called have an open minded and not being bias.

A flag symbolizes a country not its politics, Hence why we have democracy to be able to change the politics and Gov’t of a country, my demonstration of something I strongly feel about,I challenge and voice it

SuzieQ

He was obviously welcomed by the British when he went to live there—they must have really upset him to make him leave!

afrocyprus

Are you that stupid, you know nothing about me ,and your typical BSty what you perceive if you want to ask me question then do so, dont BS

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